A long forgotten love
by LinnyLibrarian
Summary: Old fires long since extinguished are suddenly rekindled Antoinette and Erik begin to realized the love they share just in time to set out on a new adventure together.
1. Chapter 1

Meg Giry gazed up at the Opera house. A year and a half had passed since the incident with the Phantom. Since then many people had been too afraid to go near it for fear that the Phantom still lived there. Meg of course thought it was ridiculous. From what she'd heard he had been nothing more than a misunderstood man, at least that's what her mother had told her.

"Will I be able to start dancing again, Mother?" asked Meg. Madam Giry smiled and stroked her daughter's hair.

"Of course, my dear," she said. "The Opera house has been repaired enough that we can move back in. But rehearsals won't start until next week."

Meg felt her excitement build up as she went inside. The excitement died when she heard a familiar voice complaining to the managers.

"If you think for one minute that I am going to sing here again you are out of your minds!"

Meg wasn't surprised to see Carlotta when she rounded the corner. The woman still wore her horrible red hair up with two maids nearby holding her poodles.

"Madam," pleaded Monsieur Andre. "The incident was a year and a half ago. Miss Daae is married to the Viscount de Changy, the Phantom is long gone, and we have no Prima Donna. If you were to sing for us again you wouldn't have to be afraid of anyone trying to make you drink alum or drop curtains on you."

Meg smirked at her mother. She knew Carlotta wouldn't be able to resist taking Christine's place. Carlotta looked thoughtful before smiling and turning to the managers.

"Since the Phantom and Miss Daae are gone then I suppose I cannot refuse!" she said sweetly. But then her face turned sour. "But I have no hair dresser! She ran away after the incident telling me to dress my own hair! Do you think I want to work with this?" She held up her hair angrily.

Meg looked at her mother. She didn't why she was doing this, maybe because she felt sorry for Carlotta, knowing that she had lost Piangi. Timidly she approached the group.

"Pardon me," she said with a curtsy. "But if Madam Carlotta is in need of a hairdresser, I would be willing to take the job. You don't have to pay me, just as long as my mother and I can still work here."

The managers were surprised, Madam Giry was proud of her daughter's kindness. Carlotta reached out and raised Meg's chin. She scrutinized the girl's face before letting go. Then she took hold of one of Meg's hands.

"She is young and pretty, she has pretty hands too," said Carlotta. "If you insist, little Giry, then you may have the job!" The Prima Donna turned to the managers. "Double Madam Giry's salary and pay little Giry four crowns."

Madam Giry was just as surprised as Meg was at the Prima Donna's kindness. Once they were gone Meg hugged her mother.

"That'll be more than enough to get everything back together, Mama!" she cried. Madam Giry smiled as she led her daughter to their old dorm rooms.

"Indeed," she said. "Apparently the incident affected everyone more than I thought." There was a far away look in her eyes. Meg thought she saw a tear roll down her cheek.

"Mother, are you alright?" she asked. The older woman wiped her eyes.

"I'm fine," she said. "Come; let's get you into some better cloths."

Later that evening Meg couldn't sleep. So many things bounced around in her mind. Coming back to the Opera house, volunteering to be a hairdresser for Carlotta, and then practicing her old ballet moves. But something else tugged at her mind. Why had her mother looked so sad? Through out the whole trip through the Opera house, Madam Giry had been looking every which where, as though looking for something. 'Or someone,' thought Meg.

As their exploration continued Madam Giry looked sadder and sadder. By the time they went into the Mess Hall for supper she looked so sad that Meg thought she would burst into tears. Instead she excused herself and went straight to bed. Meg had wanted to talk to her mother about it, but the older woman was already asleep.

"What made you so upset, Mama?" Meg whispered to herself. "Everything's back to the way it should be. Well, almost everything."

She was sad that Christine wouldn't be there, but she had good reason not to be. Being at the Opera house would only make her remember what happened. Remembering would make her upset. And that wouldn't be good for the baby.

"It's strange to think of you as being a mother," Meg had said to Christine the last time they had met. "Will it be a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know," said Christine. "If it's a boy Raoul wants to name him Augusto."

"And if it's a girl?" Meg asked with a cheeky smile. Christine smiled back.

"If it's a girl her name will be Aaralyn," she said. "Because it means 'with song.'"

Meg secretly hoped that the baby would be a girl, for Christine's sake. The poor girl needed a break after all the pain men had put her through.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the faint sound of music reached her ears. It was so faint that she wouldn't have heard it even if she'd whispered. The instrument was an Organ. But where was it coming from? A thought struck her. 'What if it's the Phantom? It's the middle of the night; I could go down and see him.'

Feeling excited, Meg put on her bathrobe and slippers before slipping out of her room and going down the hall to Christine's old room. When she got there the music was a little louder. It was almost as though it was pulling her in, seducing her with its spell. Meg pushed back the mirror and walked through the hidden passage way. The music guided her. She kept walking until she reached the river. A boat with an oar sat by the side walk. Meg got into the boat and very carefully started paddling along the river. Candles were lit every where, making the place look dark and mysterious. The music was so loud and unmistakable that it was almost as if Meg were standing next to the player.

She came to an opening where a gate had once stood. Meg gasped. There was the Phantom's home! It was cleaned up of the broken glass, making it look fresh and new. And sitting at the Organ, with his back to her, was the Phantom of the Opera himself. His brown hair was combed back neatly, his skin glowed pale in the candle light, and half of his face was covered with a new white mask.

Meg froze. She knew he didn't know she was there. 'Perhaps it would be better if I didn't stay,' she thought. 'After all he doesn't know me, and it's impolite to enter other people's places uninvited.' She was about to turn the boat around and paddle back when the gate slammed shut. Meg gasped in fear. A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the boat, dragging her on shore.

"And just where did you come from?" asked the Phantom.

Meg's jaw quivered. "I-I"

"Yes?" The Phantom whispered with the tone of someone getting very annoyed.

"I'm sorry, monsieur Phantom!" Meg managed. "I heard your music and-"

The Phantom held his black gloved hand up to stop her explanation. "Well then you should stay as my guest little Giry"

"How do you know who I am?"

The Phantom turned slowly. "I know far more than I am given credit for, Meg"

Meg knew that this man had to know her mother more than just by what he heard through the walls. Though he did give new meaning to 'the walls have ears'. At this Meg almost laughed. Almost. The phantom led her to a large chair near the piano. "Sit" He commanded. She sat.

The Phantom settled himself back at his piano bench and began to play. His fingers danced over the keys far faster than Meg had ever seen. "Monsieur? May I asked, what is your name? I can't just guess that your mother named you 'the phantom'."

He turned to her a moment then said, "Erik"

"Erik" Meg repeated. "It is a very nice name. It suits you well"

For the first time since he had started playing the music, he stopped. "Do you always talk this much?"

Meg blushed crimson and didn't speak again.

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Antoinette Giry woke up around midnight. She rolled over and glanced at the bed next to her's expecting to see Meg but Meg wasn't there. "Meg?" Madame Giry called. "Meg?"

There was no response.

Antoinette got out of bed, pulled a bathrobe over her nightgown and set of for her daughter. She checked high and low for Meg but she couldn't find her. Finally the last room to check was the Prima Donna dressing room. The door opened with a squeak. "Meg?" Antoinette called. She saw the mirror opened. "Oh no" she whispered as she walked towards it. When she reached the river she found no boat. She walked the thin railing around the edge of the river all the way to the far side of the lake. Everything had been repaired.

'They have to be here somewhere' Antoinette thought. She toke a deep breath. "Erik"

"Long time, no see, Annie" Erik said from the doorway to his room.

"Where is she?" Antoinette demanded.

"The snoop you mean?" Oh how Erik loved to pick on Antoinette. She had saved him but she was still younger than him by nearly 3 years.

"I mean my daughter, Erik" Antoinette was in no mood for his jokes. "If you have laid on hand on her I swear I will-"

"Calm down, Annie" Erik said. "She's asleep."

Antoinette rushed past him into his room. Meg lay on the bed, sound asleep. The old women ran her fingers through Meg's blonde hair. "Sweet dreams, ma petite"

"Shall we catch up while she sleeps, Annie?" Erik asked.

Antoinette left the room and walked to the chair near the piano. "As soon as she wakes we are leaving Erik"

"Very well" Erik said. "Then we'll talk till she wakes" Antoinette just nodded. "So what have you been up too?"

"I have been trying to find a way to make money since you sent this opera house under"

"I did no such thing!" Erik leaned against the end of the organ. "I didn't put anything under."

"You did with that little fiasco with Christine" Antoinette said. "And with that stupid chandelier setting the whole opera house a blaze"

"You don't know it was me!"

"I'm not stupid! I watched you cut the line to the chandelier!" Antoinette didn't buy for one second that Erik hadn't planned the chandelier to crash into the stage.

Erik couldn't respond to that. He merely crossed his arms and pouted like a little boy. "My you never did grow up, did you Erik?"

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Reviews are welcome as always... 


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Meg woke up feeling stiff and empty headed. She recalled leaving her room and venturing through the mirror in the dressing room, but what had happened after that? Meg looked at her surroundings. Stolen props from the Opera house, a swan shaped bed, and funky masks.

"Oh yeah," she said to herself.

Meg slipped out of the room. She was surprised to find Erik talking with her mother as though they were old friends. Erik gave her a shy smile while Madam Giry gave her a full blown hug.

"How did you sleep, mon Cherie?" she asked her daughter.

"Alright," said Meg. She turned to Erik. "I'm sorry for intruding last night." Erik gave her another smile.

"All is forgiven, Meg," he said. "I'm actually glad of the intrusion. If you hadn't come down here then your mother wouldn't have come looking for you."

"Now that Meg is awake we must leave," said Madam Giry.

Erik helped them into the boat and took them back to the shore. He kissed each of their hands in parting.

"Have a good day, you two," he said. "And good luck with the auditions, Antoinette." Madam Giry waved goodbye with her handkerchief.

"Thank you, Erik!" she called.

Once they were back up in the Opera house things seemed to be taking a new routine. Instead of getting dressed and running off to auditions Meg had to get Carlotta's hair ready.

"Be on your best behavior, ma petite," said Madam Giry. "She may have shown a little kindness yesterday but that doesn't mean she can't be strict."

Meg promised before running off to the Prima Donna's room. No sooner had the door opened than she was pulled inside. Meg found herself staring at a very angry and cranky Carlotta.

"You are late to the first day! What could I have been thinking to allow you to help me" Carlotta yelled.

"I'm sorry" Meg began but was cut off.

"No apologies just get me ready for rehearsals"

"Yes, Madam"

Antoinette hurried about the diva's dressing room getting things together for the opening night of their new opera.

"Annie?" A voice called from the mirror.

Antoinette whipped around towards it. "What?"

"I didn't mean to scare you" the voice began.

Antoinette rolled her eyes as she pulled open the mirror. "You didn't scare me, Erik"

Erik gave her a pleasant smile. "So what are you up too?"

"Getting ready for tonight's opera"

"Then why are you not teaching your little 'ballet rats'? Why are you playing a maid for Carlotta?" Erik spat out Carlotta's name, as though it tasted fowl.

"She has asked her room to be cleaned and I am doing it because Meg is following her around fixing every little thing Carlotta deems unworthy." Antoinette stepped up on a chair to put the flower Carlotta had ordered in the vase that was hanging on the wall. She reached up and slipped. Losing her balance, she fell backwards off the chair.

Erik, with his phantom reflexes, caught her as she fell. He looked down at the women in his arms. "You should be more careful, Antoinette"

"Yes" She whispered, looking up at him. "You always seem to be there to catch me when I'm falling."

Erik set her back on her feet. "Not always."

_Flashback_

_"This way" a 16-year-old Antoinette called. She let him around the long bend that ended in a river. She climbed into boat, but slipped backwards. _

_19-year-old Erik caught her. "You really should be more careful, Antoinette" _

_"You always seem to catch me when I'm falling"_

_"And I always will" Erik smiled at her as he helped her into the boat. As they reached the other side, Erik asked, "What was it you wanted to tell me?"_

_Antoinette turned her blue eyes glowing. "Pierre has asked me to Marry him! It's it wonderful, Erik?" _

_Erik felt as though his stomach had been sucked from his body. "What?"_

_"Pierre Giry asked me to be his wife! Isn't it wonderful?" _

_"It's...something, Annie" Erik whispered._

_"Erik, what's wrong?"_

_"Nothing, Antoinette. You should go back"_

_"But we just got here"_

_"You should go, Antoinette"_

_"But-"_

_"GO" even at 19 Erik held a presence that terrified everyone. Antoinette turned and fled the lair, not to return._

_End Flashback_

Erik shook himself as he forced the painful memory out of his mind. He wished he'd been happy for Antoinette. She'd been so happy. That is until Pierre beat her and then left her a little after Meg's birth. 'She's better off with out him,' he thought.

"What Opera will be performed for the opening?" he asked out loud.

"Rigoletto," replied Antoinette while dusting the mantle piece. "Carlotta is playing the role of Rigoletto's daughter." Erik rolled his eyes.

"She's old enough to be Rigoletto's mother," he said. "I like that Opera and all but her screaming ruins it." Antoinette laughed.

"Her screaming pays off if the tickets are sold and we are paid," she said.

"I suppose," said Erik. "The only problem is that Rigoletto is a sad story. I could write a happier Opera than that." Antoinette's eyes lit up.

"Erik," she said. "I just had a thought. Do you still write Opera?" The Phantom nodded. "What if you wrote a new one, different from Don Juan? For starters you could use a fake name so no one would know it was you. And then you could have two lead roles, one that is specifically for Carlotta, and the other could be for Meg." Erik was surprised by her suggestion.

"Why would I want to write something that Meg would share with Carlotta?" he said. "Even if it was as magnificent as Don Juan that Prima Donna's screaming would ruin it!" Antoinette shrugged as she watered some of the flowers.

"You could make her role meant for her screaming," she suggested. At the sour look on Erik's face she sighed. "You don't have to if you don't want too, Erik. Maybe you should forget I even said anything."

Erik looked thoughtful as Antoinette continued with her work. He scratched his chin and brain-stormed.

"It will be a fantasy adventure story," he said. "It'll be about a beautiful princess against her wicked step-mother, similar to that Grimm brother story about Ashputtle. The princess will go on a journey to find her father, while trying to escape her step-mother." Antoinette smiled. The creative Erik was coming back.

"That's the Erik I know!" she said happily. "But what will you name the beautiful princess and the wicked step-mother?"

"What does Christine intend to name her child if it is a girl?" he asked. His question caught Antoinette off guard. But when she saw that there was no pain in his eyes she answered.

"Aaralyn," she said, "because it means 'with song.'" Erik smiled.

"Princess Aaralyn against Queen Desdemona, that will do," he said. Antoinette looked puzzled.

"What does Desdemona mean?" she asked. Erik grinned.

"Of the Devil," he replied. Antoinette grinned wickedly in reply.

"The perfect role for Carlotta!" she declared with a laugh.

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During rehearsal Madam Giry kept a close eye on her daughter. The poor thing didn't get a chance to practice with the other chorus girls because Carlotta kept calling her back to do this and that. Madam Giry observed that, for once, the Prima Donna's hair was stunning. She was very proud of her daughter's work.

When at last Carlotta decided to take a break Meg slumped into a seat and caught her breath. She may not have been lifting anything heavy but looking after the Prima Donna was hard work.

"For one who isn't among the Chorus girls you still work hard," said a voice.

Meg turned to see a boy a little older than her speaking. He had black hair that was a little messy, a baggy shirt, brown breeches, and knee high black boots. He smiled at Meg with bright grey eyes. He looked to be a sort of gypsy.

"How do you do?" the boy said with a bow. "I am Gustav. What is your name?"

"Meg Giry," she said. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Monsieur Gustav." Meg was only being polite. Something about this boy didn't seem quite right. "What brings you to the Opera Populair?"

"I came to see my Uncle, Joseph Buquet," said Gustav. "Do you know him, Meg?" A shiver ran up her spine. No wonder she didn't feel comfortable with this boy.

"Joseph Buquet was murdered before the disaster a year and half ago," she said. "I didn't even know he had a nephew." Gustav didn't look the least bit sad at this news.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "It was bound to have happened sooner or later. He was never very polite." Gustav seemed to notice that Meg was getting uncomfortable so he changed the subject. "So you're working for the  
Prima Donna are you? That looks like hard work. Carlotta is quite the whiner isn't she?"

"I don't mind it," said Meg. "She lost her last hairdresser along with her husband, so I think in a way she has an excuse to be upset." Gustav looked at his fingernails.

"I still don't think that that's any excuse for being rude to a pretty girl like you, Meg," he said. "She looks all the uglier with that hideous hair." Meg jumped to her feet and glared at the gypsy boy.

"For your information I happened to be the one who made her hair look like that!" she cried. "And if you don't like it I suggest you hang yourself!" Gustav looked amused by her outburst.

"You look even prettier when you're angry," he said as he stood up. Meg backed away. But before anything could get quite of hand Carlotta marched up to them.

"My 'air is ruined!" Carlotta whined. "One of those nasty little ballet girls put a hat on it and ruined it!" She stopped when she saw the boy next to Meg.

Madame Giry came quickly around the corner when she heard Carlotta fussing again. "What is it now?"

Carlotta turned on Antoinette, pointing at her like she was a mere child. "You should keep those little brats in order more, old women. They practically run all over the place and they ruined my hair"

"I don't see much of a difference" Gustav whispered. Lucky for him Carlotta had stormed off to yell at the managers, and hadn't heard him.

"Meg! Go fix her hair so that she will get back to rehearsal. She'll ruin the opera if she doesn't stop whining" Antoinette ignored Gustav.

"Yes, Mama" Meg said, giving Gustav a dirty look.

"She has such a temper, Madame" Gustav said. "How ever do you keep her in line?"

Antoinette turned. "Who are you and what are you doing back here?"

"My name is Gustav" He have a slight bow. Antoinette responded with a curtsy. "I'm looking for my uncle whom, Meg tells me, is dead."

"Who is your uncle?" Antoinette asked.

"Joseph Buquet"

"I'm afraid he is dead. Killed over a year and a half ago"

A young girl came running. "Madame! Madame!"

Antoinette turned. 'What is it, Alana?"

"The Phantom, Madame! I saw him!" The girl was shaking from head to foot.

Antoinette wrapped an arm around the girl. "Go back to your room and lay down" The girl nodded and walked away. 'Erik never would have let them see him. He wouldn't risk it' Antoinette told herself.

"The Phantom? The Phantom of the Opera?" Gustav said, with a laugh. "Don't tell me you all believe in that silly little story"

Antoinette turned. Her eyes were an ice blue. "I'm afraid your uncle is dead and I'm terrible sorry about your loss. But never the less, I do wish you to leave this opera house Immediately."

Gustav gave her a grin. "Or what, Madame?"

Antoinette had never in all her life had anyone treat her as Gustav was treating her. Well Erik had but no other being dared toy with her.

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reviews...hehehe 


	3. Chapter 3

"Or I'll have you arrested for coming here uninvited!" snapped Antoinette. Gustav glanced over at Meg, who was busy with Carlotta's hair.

"Let me make something very clear, Madam Giry," he said. His lips smiled but his eyes were full of venom. "Because of my uncle I can go where I want. And if I were you I wouldn't be so rude to me. I have very strong friends who wouldn't mind coming here and meeting Meg. You wouldn't want anything bad happening to her, would you?"

Antoinette pointed at the exit. She was so angry she couldn't speak. The thought of Meg getting hurt was unbearable.

"Get out!" she said coldly. "And if I catch you near my daughter I will have you thrown in jail!" Gustav just smiled.

"Good day to you, Madam Giry," he said. He bowed and walked out of the Opera house. Feeling a little panicked Antoinette ran to the mirror and down to Erik's lair. This time instead of finding him playing his organ he was waiting for her.

"I saw the whole thing," he said.

"Is there anything you can do to protect her?" asked Antoinette. "I can only imagine what that boy was implying when he talked about hurting Meg!" She was so frightened for her daughter she was shaking. Erik put his arms around her.

"Don't worry, Annie," he said. "I have eyes everywhere. I'll make sure nothing happens to Meg, you know I will." Antoinette steadied herself and wrapped her arms around the Phantom.

"Thank you so much, Erik," she said.

"You're welcome, Annie," said Erik. He pulled away from her. "One thing, if you want Meg playing the part in the Opera I'm writing, would it hurt you if I trained her voice?" Antoinette couldn't help but smile. The Angel of Music was being born again.

"It's not up to me," she said. "You'll have to ask Meg yourself."

"Where is she now?" asked Erik. Antoinette sighed.

"Tending to the Prima Toad's hair," she replied.

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"Even if you have a hat on nothing can harm your hair now!" said Meg as she tied the Prima Donna's hair into numerous braids. Carlotta looked at herself in a mirror. She nodded in approval.

"It is good," she said. "I'll see to it that the managers pay you extra." Meg smiled.

"Thank you, Madame," she said.

"'ho was that young man were talking too earlier?" demanded Carlotta.

Meg almost laughed. She could tell the Prima Donna thought that there was something between her and Gustav.

"He was a gypsy boy looking for his uncle, Joseph Buquet," replied Meg. "I tried to get him to leave but he didn't. And then he started saying nasty things about you, I yelled at him for that." Carlotta nodded in approval.

"Gypsies are not to be trusted!" she said. "If I catch you near that boy again your salary will be lowered!" Meg felt a little angry.

"I wouldn't go near him again if I was paid a thousand francs!" she said harshly, pulling a little too hard on Carlotta's hair.

"Ouch! That will cost you one crown!" she snapped. Meg loosened her grip. "That is enough. I'm pretty! Now I need to go practice! Take a break!" Meg was relieved at having another break.

"Meg," whispered a voice. "Can you hear me?" She knew at once who it was.

"Where are you, Erik?" she whispered back.

"Meet me behind the mirror," replied Erik.

Meg hurried to the dressing room and quickly stepped behind the mirror. There she found Erik hidden in the shadows.

"Are you feeling alright?" asked Erik.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'm just a little shook up from meeting that gypsy boy. He made me so angry that I pulled too hard on Carlotta's hair. I lost a crown in my salary." Erik chuckled.

"That's not what I brought you here to talk about," he said. "Your mother gave me the idea to write a new Opera. She wanted me to ask you how you would feel about playing the lead role."

Meg didn't know what to say. She remembered seeing Christine dressed up all pretty singing in Hannibal. Could she do the same thing for an Opera written by the Phantom himself?

"But my voice isn't as pretty as Christine's," she said.

"Your mother also wanted me to ask you if you'd be willing to become my student," he said. "I could teach you in the evening and on weekends. Carlotta may need a lot of attention but at least she gives you plenty of time to yourself." Meg was overjoyed.

"I'd love too!" she said. Erik patted her on the shoulder.

"Good," he said. "We'll begin lessons tomorrow night."

Unexpectedly Meg stood up on tip toe and kissed Erik on the cheek before retreating through the mirror. He could only smile.

"The kiss of a little angel," he whispered. "What could be better?" His face fell. 'A kiss from the angel's mother' he thought. "Get a hold of yourself, Erik" he scolded himself. He descended back into his lair.

Meg rushed to her mother on her way to rehearsal with the Phantom. "Oh thank you Mama" he whispered giving her a hug.

"Be good, ma petite" Antoinette said, returning her daughter's hug. She watched the slim blonde disappear towards the Prima Donna dressing room and the only way to the phantom that the blonde knew of. 'Some day, I will show her' Antoinette thought.

She was just about to retire to her room when she heard a scream. It was one of the ballet girls. She turned and rushed towards the sound. When she arrived she saw Alana, the little red head who had seen Erik the day before, being pushed against the wall by Gustav.

"What do you think you are doing!" Antoinette yelled.

"This is none of your business, old women" Gustav snapped, turning.

"Madame Giry!" Alana called. She struggled and broke free. Running to Madame Giry she grabbed the older woman's arms as she sobbed. "He attacked me" she cried.

"Go back to your dormitory, Alana" Antoinette said.

Gustav sighed as he watched Alana run towards her dormitory. "Your always interfering, Giry" he said.

"I've been told that before by darker men than yourself" Antoinette whispered, with deadly ice behind her words. It was true. Erik had said that very thing more than once. And if she didn't fear those words coming from the mysterious man who was stronger than himself she certainly wouldn't fear them from this childish boy. The splitting image of his uncle in his actions.

Gustav started towards her. "Yes but did those men follow though on their threats?"

"Oh yes" she whispered. "The man I speak of caused your uncles death in fact." Antoinette knew she had said too much but she couldn't help it.

Gustav stopped. "Fear makes you ramble, old women" he whispered before starting forward.

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Alana screams had alerted the Phantom to go above to check things out. He had instructed Meg to do her scales while he was gone. She really wasn't bad. He knew she was rough around the edges but perfect for his part. With practice she could be far better than Carlotta. Not that she wasn't now.

He rounded the corner to see a tearful girl run into the ballet dormitory. He knew Antoinette must have solved the problem already. He was just about to return to his lair when he heard a sound he prayed he'd never hear again. It was Antoinette screaming.

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Cliff hangers...I do that alot case you hadn't noticed. I enjoy them...well review please. 


	4. Chapter 4

Erik ran as fast as he could. When he rounded the corner he was met with a sight that made his face turn white. Antoinette was lying on the floor in a pool of blood with a knife sticking out of her stomach. Her breathing came is heavy gasps and shrieks.

"ANNIE!" he shouted. He ran over to pull out the knife but Antoinette stopped him.

"NO!" she cried. "Go back! They'll see you! Go back! Take care of Meg!" He shook his head.

"I'm not leaving until that foul weapon it out of you!" he cried. "Hold still!"

Very slowly Erik pulled the blade out. The blood ran faster. He pressed a handkerchief against the wound. He could barely keep his hands from shaking he was so angry.

"Who did this?" whispered the Phantom. "Was it the boy?" Antoinette nodded, still whimpering. "I'll kill him for this!"

Before Antoinette could reply shouts were heard. She pushed at Erik telling him to go, which at last he did. Many of the ballet girls ran over shouting for someone to help Antoinette. It was a long time before she was brought to her room where a doctor looked at the wound.

"If you clean it at least once a day and take some medicine then you should be alright," said the doctor. "Make sure that someone is staying with you at all times." Antoinette nodded wearily.

A little after the doctor left Meg came into the room. She wrapped her arms around her mother and held tightly. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Gustav did this to you, didn't he, Mama?" Meg whispered angrily. "I'll have him arrested the next time I see him! I swear that boy will pay!" Antoinette wiped away her daughter's tears.

"Don't think about him now, ma petite," she whispered. "He will get what's coming to him when the time is right. Until then let's forget him. Tell me what Erik taught you." Meg sat beside her mother's bed, holding her hand.

"He explained to me what Princess Aaralyn's character is like," she said. "She starts out a little happy and carefree, but then her joy is crashed at the news that her father will marry again. She feels as though he's choosing to love someone else more than her. So you could say the first piece that I sing is bittersweet." Antoinette closed her eyes and smiled peacefully.

"Sing the song for me, Meg," she whispered.

Meg thought back on the lyrics and tried to recall the tune that Erik had played. It was so beautiful that is almost seemed a sin to sing it without him there. But she did, for her mother's sake.

My heart is torn in two,  
For my darkest fear has come true.  
My father's heart will go to another,  
Leaving me far behind in the gutter.

How cruel 'tis she,  
Who has stolen him from me.  
Why can't she go,  
Letting his heart free?

Now that he is bound,  
My heart will drag on the ground.  
Why can't she just go away,  
And let my heart runaway?

But no, it must not be,  
Our hearts are not two but three.  
She will come and take him away,  
And here my heart will forever stay.

Meg opened her eyes and looked down at her mother. She was fast asleep with a peaceful sigh escaping her lips. Meg bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Good night, Mama," she whispered as she left the room.

Gustav stepped out the shadows causing Meg to jump when she turned after closing the door to her mother's room. When she realized who it was her blood boiled. "How dare you come back here? How dare you!" She swung her fist as hard as she could but he caught it.

"Calm yourself, Meg" he said, coolly. "I merely gave your mother a warning to stay out of my business"

"If you touch me or any of the other ballet girls, it is her business. She is my mother and like a mother to those girls." Meg couldn't believe he was rationalizing what he had done.

"Well a mother needs to know when to clip the cord" Gustav said. "Besides, I don't take no for an answer."

"Well you better" Meg turned a started towards her dormitory. 'If I can get there he has to leave me alone' she thought.

Gustav followed her. "Meg, where are you going?"

"To bed" She prayed he just leave.

"May I come?" He asked.

Meg gave him a look of disgust and ran to her room. Luckily he didn't follow her.

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Antoinette laid in her bed. Her stomach throbbed but it was much better than it had been. She thought of Gustav. 'And they thought Erik was evil' she laughed. It was because of Gustav that the ballet girls never left their room except in packs. No one when off alone. Though they had tried, no one seemed able to catch this young man. 'Erik will' Antoinette thought. This thought was all that kept her from crying. She settled against her pillows.

There was a knock on the door. "Yes?" Antoinette called. It was the managers.

"We are so sorry for your...accident, Madame Giry" Monsieur Andre said, quickly. "We are looking for the boy, this 'Gustav' but he seems to have vanished." He paused. "When will you be up to rehearsals again?"

"A week or so"

"Good, good" he said, absent mindedly. "Well I will leave you go get some rest" He was out the door before Antoinette could even respond.

"Ta" she said to the air.

"He only came to see how badly you were hurt" a voice from behind the mirror.

"I know, Erik" she said with a sly smile. "I know when men are lying"

"Ha ha. Very funny, Annie" Erik opened the mirror.

"So," Erik said as he sat down. "How fair's Madam Giry tonight?" Antoinette rolled her eyes.

"Madam Giry is doing fine," she said. "Her stomach hurts a little but it should be better in a week." They laughed. "How is Meg doing with her lessons?"

"She's doing excellent," said Erik. "She's a fast learner. Faster even than Christine." Antoinette was surprised that he could talk about Christine with out seeming hurt. "The Opera itself is coming along beautifully. It feels more like I'm writing a book but I guess that's part of the fun."

"Opera's are meant to tell stories," said Antoinette. "The story may not always come out with a happy ending but everything is still shown through the music." Erik looked thoughtful.

"I suppose you could put it that way," he said. A sound knock sounded at the door before Meg slipped in.

"Hello, Mama, Erik," she said. "I just wanted to let you know that I may be back a little late tonight."

"Why is that?" asked Antoinette. Meg put on an impression.

"'he Opera is tomorrow and you still haven't improved with this mop on my 'ead!" she said. Everyone laughed. "Carlotta insists that I work extra hard since the Opera is tomorrow night." She turned to Erik. "I won't be available for my lessons tonight." He patted her on the head.

"That's alright," he said. With one last curtsy Meg left. "She's very brave to walk the hallways alone. From what I've seen the ballet girls are afraid Gustav will get them." Antoinette rolled her eyes.

"He's no older than Meg yet they fear him," she said. "It's ridiculous! You're far more frightening then he'll ever be!" The Phantom chuckled.

"Oh I am, am I, Annie?" he said.

"Of course!" she said in a joking manner. "You have the scariest aura, menacing eyes, bone white skin, perfect lips-" At the perfect lips part Erik covered his mouth with hers.

The kiss lasted only five seconds, yet it felt like forever. When they pulled away there was a look of horror on the Phantom's face.

"I'm sorry, Annie," he said. Before she could reply he retreated through the mirror.

Antoinette lay in bed feeling more confused than ever. Why had Erik kissed her? Hadn't he wanted to keep his lips for Christine? Why?

Just then another bloodcurdling scream shoot the Opera house. It made Antoinette's face turn white. This time the scream was Meg's.

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Hum...what a dilemma. Review please. 


	5. Chapter 5

Antoinette pulled herself from the bed with great effort. "Please, no" She begged the air. The kiss was forgotten as she hobbled through the opera house with her cane, looking for Meg. She moved very slowly and it hurt but she had to reach her baby.

It was just around the corner that Antoinette found her daughter. Gustav had hit her and she had hit her head on the wall. She lay on the floor in a small pool of blood. Gustav knelt next to her trying to wake her.

"Oh God" Antoinette whispered. Her knees gave out right at the side of her daughter. Her whole body shook as she began to sob.

"I didn't mean too! I swear to God, Madame Giry!" Gustav began. His voice shook. "She tried to run. I only tried to talk to her! She slipped." After this is ramblings were no longer understandable.

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Erik waked fast down the tunnel. "How could you be so stupid, Erik! How could you?" he yelled at himself. "You'll never again be able to see her!"

His self scolding was interrupted by a scream. Meg's scream. "My Angel!" He said aloud running for the sound of the screams. When he reached it, Madame Giry was already there and so was that boy. Antoinette held the petite form of Meg Giry in her arms. Rocking her slowly back and forth as she sobbed. Gustav stared at Meg's lifeless form.

"Annie" Erik gasped, crouching beside her.

Antoinette took a labored breath and whispered, "She's dead, Erik"

"What?" Erik said, falling forward to his knees.

"She's dead" Antoinette held out Meg's lifeless wrist. Erik grasped it and felt for a pulse. There was none. Margaret Giry was dead.

Erik stared at Meg's body. He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it. How could a simple thing like that kill her? He turned to demand what had really happened from Gustav, but the boy was gone. The Phantom turned to Antoinette.

"Hurry, we'd better go down to my lair before someone sees us," he said. Antoinette nodded and followed Erik, still carrying her daughter in her arms.

The journey down to the Phantom's lair seemed to take longer than usual. Antoinette refused to let go of Meg. There was a look in her eyes that said, 'She can't be dead! I won't believe it!' When they entered the lair itself they sat by the organ. Antoinette stroked Meg's beautiful hair as though it was precious gold.

"I knew that boy was dangerous," said Erik. "But I didn't know he was capable of murder. And how could he have killed her? He had no weapon." Tears fell on Meg's cheeks.

"I don't know, Erik," she whispered. "And I don't care!" Her eyes became dark. "Next time you see Gustav, I don't care what you do with him! Punish him for killing my daughter!" Antoinette sobbed against Meg's cheeks.

Erik walked over and wrapped his arms around her. He cried too. As annoying as Meg had been at times, she was still wonderful. She had been young; her whole life was in front of her, now she would never get to live it to its fullest.

For an hour they sat there and wept. Erik held tightly to Antoinette, and Antoinette held tightly to Meg. Finally Erik gently eased the girl's body from her mother's arms and set her on the floor. He wiped away Antoinette's tears.

"You can stay here tonight if you wish," said Erik. "Tell the rest of the Opera house and prepare the funeral tomorrow."

The woman merely nodded before throwing herself into his arms. He picked her up and carried her to one of his rooms, feeling to grief stricken to look at the girl's body any longer.

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Hours later the clock struck one. Everyone in the Opera house, including Erik and Antoinette, were asleep. No one saw it when Gustav made his way down to the Phantom's lair. His eyes darted around as he looked at the incredible things Erik had collected. His eyes shined with excitement when he caught sight of Meg. He climbed onto the shore and stroked her golden hair.

"Thank you for that sleeping potion, Uncle," whispered Gustav. "They thought she was dead when really she's just sleeping like a corpse." It was true.

When Meg screamed she'd been stabbed with a syringe full of a potion that caused any person to be a victim of sleeping death. It was a simple brew that only gypsies knew how to make. Then after Meg had passed out he'd laid her on the floor so that it would look like she'd run into the wall.

Gustav lifted Meg into his arms. He kissed her lips before gently putting her in the boat. Before leaving he laughed out loud.

"You'll never get her back, Phantom!" he called. "Because if you do I'll expose you!" With that he began to row away, taking the sleeping girl with him.

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I had many tell me that I couldn't leave the last chapter hanging the way it was...is this better? Reviews. 


	6. Chapter 6

Antoinette woke to remember what had happened the night before. Tear welled up in her eyes. "My baby" she sobbed. "She was so young. So innocent! Why her? Why her!"

Erik, who had fallen asleep in the chair next to Antoinette, woke. When he saw her hid heart broke. He reached out and caught Antoinette's shoulder and turned her towards him. "I'm sorry" He stoked her shoulder gently.

"For what?" Antoinette asked. She wiped her watery blue eyes. Erik stomach did a flip-flop.

"For Meg's death, for not catching Gustav" Erik said. "For kissing you" he added in a mutter.

"I meant to ask about that" Antoinette said, momentarily forgetting about Meg's death. "Why did you kiss me?"

Erik looked her in the eyes. "You were the first girl I loved, Annie" Antoinette's shock was written right on her face. "I shouldn't have done it. Just forget about it."

Antoinette kissed him gently. Her hand on his uncovered cheek.

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"Let me go!" Meg yelled. She was tided to a post in the center of a gypsies' tent. Gustav sat at the other end of the tent. He was writing a letter to 'Dear' Madame Giry about her precious little Meg.

"Will you be quite" he snapped. "I'm in the middle of writing to your mother. When she realizes your body is missing she'll know something is not right."

"She'll hunt you down"

"She would. And her dangerous phantom but" He paused to hold up the letter. "I am telling her that if she does she's lose her love"

"Eri-The Phantom is not my mother's love!" Meg couldn't believe he could say such a thing.

"Oh he isn't is he?" Gustav said. "Then he kisses all old women who are in bed due to knife injuries?"

Gustav had been going to check on Madame Giry's progress to see if she was doing well but when he opened the door, he saw the Phantom kissing her. That is when he had thought now, that he had leverage on Madame Antoinette Giry, he would strike. He took Meg knowing that if he threatened to expose the Phantom, it would silence the old crone.

Meg's jaw dropped. "You're lying!"

"I swear it's as true as that you are still tided to that post" Gustav said, sealing the letter and standing. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have a letter to delivery" He tided a scarf around Meg's mouth. "Now be good while I'm gone" He said as he strode from the tent.

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It took an hour for Antoinette to completely calm down. When she finally did Erik led her down to the shore where his boat was waiting. He froze.

"Erik, what's wrong?" asked Antoinette.

"Meg's body," he whispered. "It's gone!"

Antoinette rushed over. Sure enough, there was no sign of Meg anywhere. The only thing they could find was a note. Antoinette's hands trembled as she opened it. As she read it more tears formed. She was about to start sobbing when Erik ran over and hugged her.

"What is it, Annie?" he asked. She wiped away her tears. There was joy and sorrow in her eyes.

"It's from Gustav!" she said. "Meg is alive!" Erik was shocked.

"Alive?" he asked. "But she was dead! I saw her myself! There was no pulse!" Antoinette handed him the letter.

"Read it," she said. Erik did.

_My Dear Madame Giry,_

_This may come as a shock to you but your daughter Meg is alive. She's with me. I used a very special sleeping potion on her that made her look dead, when really she was just asleep (A good trick learned from my uncle)._

_Getting to the point, I'm not holding Meg hostage just for fun. I learned something very interesting about you yesterday, Madame Giry. When I went to check on you it appeared as though the Phantom of the Opera himself was giving you a good night kiss. I won't tell anyone, I think it's more fun if it's my own little secret._

_However, just to keep things running smoothly I'll bring Meg to the Opera house every day to attend to the Prima Toad. While she is there you will be allowed to speak with her (But not the Phantom)._

_I will be watching her at all times, so if you try to keep her from coming back to my camp with me then I'll expose the Phantom to the world. The same will happen if either of you attempt to rescue her. Meg Giry is still your daughter, but she belongs to me._

_Yours truly, Gustav Buquet._

Erik crumbled up the paper and threw into the flame of a candle. He was so angry he felt ready to hang something. Antoinette sensed Erik's discomfort.

"We'll think of something, Erik," she said. "You are, after all the Phantom. I know you can find a way to get rid of Gustav and save Meg with out being discovered."

"It's not just that," said Erik. "It's his threat. He saw us kiss! And now he's using that against us with Meg as the link! How can I get out of that?" Antoinette wiped her eyes.

"Like I said we'll think of something," she said. "I can only pray that until then she will be alright."

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Back at the gypsy camp Meg was slumped against the pole. The scarf was still in her mouth so she couldn't yell for help, and so far no one had come looking for her. A shadow stood over her. She didn't look up, thinking that it was just Gustav. But then a female voice spoke. It wasn't Gustav.

"So you are Meg Giry. My little brother has always had a taste for golden haired beauties."

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I do so love cliff hangers. I'm sorry for those of you hate them but well that's what I'm good at. I truely am a very boring person but I can write intresting stories. 


	7. Chapter 7

If Meg could have ripped this girl limb from limb she would have. Meg looked up to see a girl. Obviously a gypsy. Her hair was long and a shiny black. Almost like the stone Obsidian. Her eyes were sharp like an eagle's eye but blue. She was very pretty. "What do you want?" Meg tried but it came out a mumble.

The girl laughed. "I'm Tanya" Tanya bent over and removed the scarf from Meg's mouth. "So..."

"So what?" Meg snapped.

"Why are you so fiery?" Tanya asked.

"I don't know...Maybe getting kidnapped made me a little cranky"

Gustav came into the tent. "What are you doing?"

"I was just talking to her" Tanya began but Gustav smacked her across the face.

"Get out! Get OUT!" He yelled. Tanya ran from the tent. "Stupid girl" he muttered.

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Antoinette couldn't sleep. "Erik" she whispered in the dark. She didn't expect an answer but when she felt a hand on her arm she knew he was there. "You didn't leave?"

"And leave you alone?" Erik voice sound sleepy.

"I'm sorry I woke you"

"I've had worse wake up calls" They both laughed. When silence fell again, Erik whispered, "What is to stop us from keeping Meg here when Gustav brings her here for rehearsal?"

"He said he'll expose you"

"So people will know I'm back. Good then I can ask for a salary again"

"Erik...Gustav will not just tell of you being around the opera house still. He will tell of us; of the kiss he witnessed"

"He doesn't know what he witnessed!" Erik snapped. "Besides, who will they believe the honorable ballet mistress or some no good gypsy boy?"

"Erik..." Antoinette paused. "What did that kiss mean? What is going on between us now?"

"A lot of confusion and anger," replied Erik. "This would be much easier to deal with if Meg was still here and Gustav never entered the picture!" Antoinette rolled her eyes.

"If this is all just a nuisance then forget it!" she shouted. "We never kissed, we never met, and I should stay out of your way!"

Antoinette stormed out of the room and made her way to the shore. She was just about to get into the boat when Erik grabbed her arm and yanked her back up.

"You think I would consider you and Meg a nuisance?" he shouted. "NO! You two are the most important people in the world to me! If you don't believe me then believe this!"

He smashed his mouth against hers. Antoinette was too surprised to do anything but respond. She kissed him hard, stroking his brown hair and holding him tightly. He held her in return. Erik didn't know what had made him lose his temper like that but he didn't care. All he could think about was kissing her harder.

Antoinette reveled in the kiss, until she accidentally ripped off Erik's mask. He released her and covered his deformed half of his face.

"Why did you do that, Annie?" he asked. "You know I don't like this part of me exposed!" Antoinette bent down and picked up the mask.

"I'm sorry, Erik," she whispered. "I guess we're both just worried about Meg and how we're going to handle getting her back." Erik nodded in agreement.

"I suppose we are," he said.

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The next morning Meg was woken up rudely and forced to wash as quickly as she could. Gustav showed no mercy.

"Hurry up!" he snapped.

"Where are we going that requires such hurry?" asked Meg irritably.

"The Opera House," replied Gustav. Her eyes lit up.

"You're taking me home?" she asked.

"No," replied the gypsy boy. "I'm just taking you there so that you can attend rehearsals and dote on the Prima Toad like normal. You'll be allowed to see your mother but once rehearsal is over you're coming back here with me." Meg's heart sank.

"Why are you holding me prisoner like this?" she asked as she combed her hair. "I haven't done anything to hurt you." Gustav smiled.

"Oh yes you have, my dear Meg," he said. He grabbed her wrist. "You stole my heart!" He was about to kiss her when Tanya burst into the tent.

"Stop it!" she shouted, shoving him off of Meg. "You can't treat her like this!" Gustav dusted himself off.

"Why not, big sister?" he asked. "She's my hostage!" Tanya glared.

"That doesn't give you the right to treat her like an object and about rape her!" she snapped. Gustav rolled his eyes.

"Didn't I say that you weren't allowed in here, Tanya?" he asked. The gypsy girl stood her ground.

"You're not my boss, little brother," she said. "You will either be civil to her or I will secretly give her back to her mother when you're not looking!" Gustav's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't dare!" he hissed.

"Wouldn't I?" Tanya whispered dangerously.

With out warning Gustav punched his sister in the face. She fell to the ground with a black bruise forming on her cheek. Gustav grabbed Meg by the wrist and dragged her away. Meg felt sorry for Tanya. When they arrived at the Opera house Gustav gave her hurried instructions.

"Act normal and tend to Carlotta like you normally do," he said. "If you try any funny business, you know what will happen." Meg nodded sadly.

Once inside Gustav slipped into the shadows while Meg went into the sanctuary. She almost cried at the sight of her mother coaching the ballet girls. When Antoinette caught sight of her daughter there was a look of longing in her eyes. With out a word Meg ran into her mother's arms. Both of them cried silently.

"Help me, Mama!" Meg whispered. Antoinette stroked her daughter's hair.

"Don't worry, ma petite," she whispered. "Everything will be alright."

Someone reached out and yanked Meg out of Antoinette's embrace. She wanted nothing more than to stay by her mother until she would be taken away again, but the arm wouldn't let her. She looked up and was surprised to see that it was Carlotta.

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Reviews 


	8. Chapter 8

"Why do you act as if you haven't seen you're mother in forever?" Carlotta demanded. Both Meg and Antoinette felt eyes drilling into them.

"Meg was away with a friend and I've just missed her very much" Antoinette lied.

Carlotta seemed satisfied and chatted away about her hair to Meg as she dragged her away to the prima Donna dressing room.

Antoinette looked longingly after her daughter. "Is that truly what happened?" asked a young girl in the ballet group. "Was she really away with a friend?"

Antoinette longed to tell someone; anyone the truth but knew she couldn't. "Oni"

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Erik paced Antoinette's room. When the door opened he rushed forward. Antoinette was surprised to see him. "Erik? What makes you come here so early?"

"How is Meg? He hasn't hurt her, has he? What did she say?"

"She's fine. She doesn't appear hurt and I haven't really had a chance to speak to her yet" Antoinette was slightly disappointed that he hadn't come to see her but understood that he was just as worried, as she, about Meg.

Erik reached for her arm. "Antoinette" He whispered as he stroked her hair. He pulled her close and caught her lips in a strong, passionate kiss. She gripped his shoulders as she returned the kiss, deepening it.

"MAMA" came a voice from the door. Meg stood there is utter shock. Erik and Antoinette broke apart. "So what he told me was true! There is something between you!"

"Meg this isn't how it seems" Erik began.

"Than what is it!" Meg yelled. She couldn't believe that her mother had chosen the Phantom over her own daughter.

"Ma petite" Antoinette whispered. "Erik and I... we both have fancied each other for quite some time and never realized it till now."

"So you love him more than me?" Meg's eye filled with tears. "Why would you love him more than me, Mama?"

"Oh Meg, I don't love him more than you" Antoinette said, taking her daughter in her arms. "What would ever make you think that?"

"You would rather stay with the Phantom than come get me" Meg's reasoning was that of a child but then again she was only 17.

"Your mother loves you dearly and I would never dream of replacing you in her heart." Erik raised Meg's chin to look her in the eyes. "She can love us both, you know"

"Would you be my new Papa?" Meg asked. The surprise on Erik's face made her laugh. "Would you love my mama forever? And never leave her?"

"I would never leave her as long as I lived," Erik said with out hesitation. "I've always loved your mother, Meg, even when I thought I loved Christine. But as it turned out things would have never worked out between me and her. Partly because Christine was just a girl, I see that now that I've seen you and your mother again."

Antoinette was in tears of pride. It was like watching Erik grow up. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss him until there was no more energy in her lips. But who knows what Meg would think if she saw that.

"So if you two got married then I couldn't call you Erik anymore, I'd have to call you Papa?" she asked. Erik stroked her cheek.

"Indeed," he whispered.

The bell struck the hour, signaling the end of rehearsals. Meg looked more frightened than ever.

"Please don't make me go back with him!" she pleaded. "He might rape me any day!" Antoinette looked angry.

"He won't rape you!" she said fiercely. "We'll make sure of it!"

"But she still needs to come back with me," said a voice. Everyone froze. Gustav stood in the doorway. He smiled at the trio before him. "The Phantom of the Opera, Father of Meg Giry and Husband to Madam Giry. That would be an interesting headline in the newspapers."

"You swore you wouldn't tell anyone!" hissed Antoinette. Gustav smiled.

"And I still won't," he said. "It's just a good way to scare you people into doing what I want." He nodded towards the Phantom. "That's a pretty daughter you have there, maybe soon you can call me your son-in-law." Erik grit his teeth.

"The day I call you that will be the day I die!" he hissed. Gustav laughed and took Meg by the wrist.

"I doubt it," he said. "Good day to all of you."

With that he walked away, holding Meg prisoner. In their minds Erik and Antoinette could almost hear Meg screaming for them to save her. But they couldn't yet. They needed more of a plan.

"We need to tell her the truth, Erik," whispered Antoinette. "I know it might be hard to believe but she deserves to know." Erik nodded in agreement.

"She is your daughter after all," he said.

"Our daughter," corrected Antoinette.

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Back at the gypsy camp Meg couldn't keep from crying. She hated being a prisoner and not being able to be rescued by her mother, or her mother's boyfriend. The thought of Erik kissing her mother made the pain worse, she didn't know why.

"Since you're being such a cry baby I'll let you have some time to yourself," said Gustav.

No sooner had he left than Tanya entered. A look of pity crossed her face at the sight of Meg's tears. The gypsy girl wrapped her arms around the ballet girl, trying to comfort her.

"There, there, Meg," she whispered. "I'm sorry all this is happening." Tanya offered her a handkerchief. Meg took it and wiped her eyes. "What has he been doing to you?"

"It's not Gustav!" snapped Meg. "My mother is in love with another man, I can't say names, but I'm nervous about what their relationship could mean for me." Tanya smiled in understanding.

"It might not be so bad," she said. "You might get a wonderful new step-father."

"I don't want a step-father!" cried Meg. "I want my mother! It's always been her and me! I don't want that to change! If she marries then she'll want to spend more time with him than me! I don't want that!" Tanya stroked her hair.

"Why don't you tell me about it," she said. "You don't have to tell me who this man is if you don't want too."

Meg looked at Tanya. The gypsy girl's eyes were soft and understanding, like a sweet big sister. Should she trust her and tell little bits about Erik?

"You can tell me anything, Meg" Tanya said.

"Well Erik...that's his name" Meg began. 'She won't know who it is based on his name' she thought. "He and my mother have known each other for a long time and he's an ok guy but I don't know. I guess I'm just afraid of that he'll replace me in her heart."

"Where is your real father any way?" Tanya asked. She hoped to learn more about this girl thought talking to her.

"He died when I was only two years old." Meg said.

"Does your mother visit his grave?" Tanya had a theory she wanted to test.

"No"

"Have you ever?"

"No" Meg said. "Why? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Here me out on this...What if, this man, Erik, was your real father and that this other man was just made up or something" Tanya watched Meg's face for any reaction. "Maybe, because of who you're father was, your mother told everyone that someone else was the father. Someone higher up in society. Maybe that person found out that you weren't his and he left. But your mother couldn't bare to tell you that he had just left. So she told you he died."

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Antoinette sat down on the bed. "I can't bare that every day, Erik" She leaned back across the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I just can't bare watching her being drag off every day by that...man. If he truly is a man."

"I don't like watching it anymore that you do. After all she is my daughter too" Erik sat next to her on the bed. He ran his finger along her arm. "What's to stop us from killing him?"

Antoinette sat up quickly. "Erik!"

"I'm sorry, Mon Cheri. I didn't mean to alarm you" He pulled her into a hug. "I just am trying to think of something to do to get rid of this annoying boy"

"We need to try to talk him into letting her stay here"

"How do you expect to get him to do that?" Erik pushed her back to look at her.

"That I have yet to decide"

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Tanya ran sneakily out of the gypsy camp and down the road. She was headed for the opera house. She needed to speak to Meg's mother. As she round the bend at the end of the road she could see the opera house in the distance. She sped up and ran around till she saw a window that was covered with a cast iron gate. She opened it and hopped down inside. "For once it's good that my bother likes to tell of his accomplishments" she whispered. This was how her brother had been getting in and out of the opera house while everyone was looking for him.

Tanya ran up the stairs and walked carefully around the opera house, making sure no one saw her. When she finally found the room Madame Giry had shared with her daughter, she had to dodge inside quickly to ovoid being seen by the passing managers.

Erik was sitting next to Antoinette as she slept on the bed. He was sitting in the chair next to the bed thinking about all the things he could try to get his daughter back. When the door opened a young women ran into the room, he nearly jumped out of his skin. "What are you doing here?" he snapped.

"Shh! They'll hear you" Tanya snapped.

"You may want them to hear your screams if you want to survive" Erik threatened.

Tanya stared at him. "Meg never mentioned that her mother's love was the phantom" Erik stopped in his tracks.

"You've seen Meg?" he said. His voice squeaked.

"Yes and spoken with her. She's to very happy with you" Tanya paused to look around the room. Her eyes fell on the sleeping Antoinette. "I have a question for you" She said, her eye never leaving Antoinette. "Are you really Meg's father?"

"How-How did you know?" Erik asked, bewildered. "No one knows but Antoinette and Pierre Giry. And he only knows because Annie didn't have the heart to lie to him any longer."

"I guessed." Tanya said, turning to Erik. "From what Meg told me, the pieces just seemed to fit."

"Who are you?" Antoinette asked. She had woken up and was very confused to find a young Gypsy looking women in her bedroom.

"Tanya. Gustav is my brother."

* * *

Reviews peas..I mean please. get with the jokes people 


	9. Chapter 9

A look of such piercing anger shot through Erik's face that he looked ready to strangle Tanya on the spot. It was only Antoinette's presence that kept him from such an act.

"That little monster of a boy is your brother?" hissed the Phantom.

With a white face Tanya nodded. "I dislike him as much as you two but there's not much I can do to change him," she said. "But I can work behind him."

"What do you mean?" asked Antoinette.

"If you two help me then Meg could be free, and Gustav would no longer be a threat," explained Tanya.

Erik and Antoinette looked at each other. They were nervous about trusting this gypsy girl. Being that she was Joseph Buquet's niece. But the thought of setting Meg free made their hearts leap. They turned to Tanya and nodded.

"We'll trust you," said Antoinette.

"But if you try any tricks then you will regret it," said Erik.

"Thank you," said Tanya. "Now here's the plan."

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An hour later Tanya slipped into Meg's tent. The chorus girl was sleeping on a rather thin blanket with tears in her eyes.

Tanya gently shook her. "Meg, wake up," she whispered. "I have good news for you!"

Meg opened her eyes and yawned. "What good news?" she asked. "Gustav will put me out of my misery?"

Tanya rolled her eyes. "Not at all," she whispered. "Tomorrow you're going home. And you'll be with your mother and father again!"

Meg sat up. "What?"

"Shhhh!" Tanya snapped in a harsh whisper. "Do you want him to hear you?"

"Sorry" Meg whispered.

"Be ready to leave. When Gustav brings you to the opera house, go to your mother. Trust me. You will not be forced to return. Your parents won't let that happen"

Meg merely nodded. Tanya began to creep from the room. "Wait" Meg whispered.

Tanya turned. "Yes?"

"You said parents..."

"Yes, your mother and father"

"My father is dead"

"Then who was that man in your mother's bedroom?"

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Antoinette was tense and couldn't get back to sleep when the gypsy girl had left. Erik stood near the window and watched the girl run out of the opera house and down a nearby alley. When he turned back to Antoinette she was laying on her back staring at the ceiling. Erik walked closer to the bed. "Annie?" She did respond, so Erik sat on the bed. He ran a finger along the side of her face. "Annie?"

Antoinette turned her head to look up at him. "Hum?" Erik smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her.

"I love you, Antoinette" he whispered. Antoinette began to cry. "Annie? Annie, what's wrong?"

She wiped her face. "I'm sorry"

"It's ok" Erik whispered. "But why are you crying?"

"I've wanted you to say you loved me since I was 14 years old, Erik" Antoinette whispered.

"Then why did you marry...never mind" Erik put a hand on the back of Antoinette neck. "I love you, Antoinette Marie Verne" He kissed her, rolling on his back and taking her with him. She landed on him.

"Erik" she squeaked. He laughed slightly before flipping her under him and kissing her.

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Meg walked into the opera house slightly behind Gustav. She was happy to be going home but yet she couldn't let it show. She was too nervous that he knew what she was doing. She looked pale and grim.

"Meg?" Gustav whispered. "You look pale, love. Are you sure you can work today?"

"I'm fine" she whispered.

"Well, I will see you after work today then" He said. Meg nodded and walked off into the dormitories.

As soon as she was out of sight she began to run for her mother's room. "Mama" she said as she opened the door. She stopped dead in her tracks at what she saw. Her mother was in her sleeping gown under the covers of her bed, with her head lying on Erik's bare chest. "MAMA!" she shrieked.

Antoinette and Erik jumped. Antoinette saw her daughter and her hand flew to her mouth. Erik looked between not quite knowing what to say.

"What did I just walk in on?" Meg asked after a long minute of silence.


	10. Chapter 10

Antoinette's face flamed red with shame. She'd been longing to tell her daughter the truth for so long, but not like this. Very slowly she got out of the bed, shielding Erik from view as he put his cloths back on.

"You have a right to know the truth now, Ma petite," said Antoinette.

"What truth?" asked Meg, tears in her eyes. "That in reality I only exist because you and the Phantom were fooling around, and that I'm a-"

"Yes," said Erik. "You hit the nail on the head, my dear Meg."

Meg blinked and stared at her mother. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "Why didn't you just tell from the start that I was the daughter of the Phantom instead of saying that my father was some unknown man that died when I was little?"

Antoinette sighed. "I wanted to tell you, Meg," she said. "I was just afraid of how you would react. You were always the one who listened to the tales that Joseph Buquet told, and whenever Erik would play a trick like dropping the curtain you were the first to scream. I thought it would hurt you too much."

The chorus girl clenched her fists. "What hurts me is that neither of you had the guts to tell the truth!" snapped Meg. "Mama, you always taught me that lying only hurts you and others! I see now that you are just a hypocrite!"

Erik stepped in, noticing that Antoinette was looking more and more crushed by the minute.

"Meg, stop for a moment and think about it," he said. "You were always frightened whenever you heard stories about me true?" Meg nodded. "And how did you feel when your mother finally introduced me to you?"

"Very surprised," Meg admitted. "Sometimes I thought perhaps you were a ghost just like everyone said. But when I finally met you I saw that you were just a man. A misunderstood man most likely."

Erik smiled. "If you were that surprised then how do you think you would have reacted to the news of me being your true father?" he asked.

Meg's face turned red in shame. "I would have been shocked and frightened," she turned redder. "And I might have told Christine, and she would have told Raoul." She faced her mother. "I'm sorry for getting so angry, Mama. I see now why you couldn't tell me. I would have ruined everything."

Antoinette embraced her daughter. "Thank you for understanding, Ma petite," she whispered.

"But what are we going to do about Gustav?" asked Meg.

"What is there to do about me?" said a voice.

Everyone turned to see the gypsy boy standing in the doorway. He smiled at the three of them. He stepped into the room looking as though he'd just inherited a million Sioux.

"So Meg really is the Phantom's daughter!" said Gustav. "Not by marriage or adoption either."

Erik looked ready to pull out his rope. "If even try to tell anyone-" Gustav cut him off.

"Don't try to threaten me, old man," he yawned. "You know I could expose you any moment, but of course I won't because this is too terrific of a secret to just blab about." Antoinette and Erik exchanged glances. They had to keep him talking.

"What are you going to do to us now, Gustav?" demanded Antoinette. "You're holding my daughter captive not to mention that you've learned every secret that I've kept hidden all these years!"

The gypsy boy couldn't help laughing, unaware of Tanya moving slowly behind him.

"Who knows what I'll do," Gustav said. "Maybe since you fooled around with the Phantom I might fool around with Meg so that you'll have some grandchildren." Meg held tighter to her mother.

Erik hissed and clenched his fists. "If you dare to do anything like that to her I'll have you hanged!" he snapped.

"I don't think so," said Gustav.

"I do!" said Tanya.

Gustav spun around only to have a pot beaten over his head. He fell to the floor unconscious in an instant. Blood poured from his head.

"Now you'll get what you deserve, my dear brother!" hissed Tanya. She looked up at Erik. "I don't care what you do to him! It would even be best if you killed him! That's the only way to keep all your secrets secret!"

Antoinette looked at Erik. He pulled out his rope and slung it over the gypsy boy's neck.

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An hour later when the chorus girls went into the main room for practice they screamed in fright. The body of a gypsy boy hung by his neck in a noose. Blood spilled from a wound in his head, Gustav Buquet was dead.

Though Antoinette had know that it was only a matter of time before she found the body of Gustav hanging from something she still screamed and covered her mouth with her hand at the sight. She swallowed before speaking. "Practice is cancelled for today."

Meg had run to get someone to cut down Monsieur Buquet. "Right this way" she said leading the managers in as the girl quickly filed out.

"What kind of beast leaves this for these young girls to see?" One manager snapped at the other.

"This man always wanted to be seen...now he was" Meg said leading her mother back to her room. When she opened the door she saw Tanya and Erik talking.

"But what every would I do?" Tanya asked.

"Be in the ballet as Meg was" Erik said. He was leaning back on Antoinette's bed. His bare feet propped up on a pillow.

Tanya, who was laying on the long bench near Antoinette's dressing table, looked up at the mother and daughter as they entered the room. Antoinette's pale face told her everything. "Found him, did you?"

" A little warning would have been nice" Meg said, sitting her mother on the edge of the bed.

Erik sat up. "Annie?" She was white as snow. "Ann" He reached out and pulled her to him. She laid her head against his shoulder. He pulled her back till they both were leaning against the pillows. "It's ok Ann"

"What were you talking about when we walked in here?" Meg asked Tanya.

"Your father wants me to say her and become part of the ballet. He says there is nothing for me back at the fare and that I would do well here."

"That would be wonderful!" Meg said. She and Tanya chatted back and forth about the idea for a while

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"Annie?" Erik whispered into her hair. She turned her head to look at him. "Will you marry me?"


	11. Chapter 11

Antoinette jumped. First her face turned white as death, then her cheeks burned with blood, and then her eyes flooded with tears; tears sparkling with joy.

"You don't know how many years I waited for you to ask that, Erik!" she cried. "Yes, I will!" She threw herself into his arms and they kissed as passionately as they could.

"We'll raise Meg as our daughter like we always should have," whispered Erik. "Finally we can be a happy family."

"What about Tanya?" asked Antoinette. "She has no one."

"We'll adopt her," said Erik. "She'd make a wonderful sister for Meg."

Antoinette cried harder. "I love you, Erik," she whispered.

"I love you too, Annie," Erik whispered back.

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Meg and Tanya smiled at each other. When they left the room they secretly listened in on Erik and Antoinette's conversation. Meg's face turned beat red with excitement at the marriage proposal. And Tanya's face turned white at the mention of the adoption.

"He'd really do that for me?" she asked Meg.

"Of course he would!" said Meg. "Why wouldn't he?"

"I thought he wouldn't want that since Joseph Buquet was my uncle," Tanya said shyly.

Meg smiled. "Just because you have nasty relatives doesn't make you bad," she said. "I'd love to have you as my sister!" The girls hugged tightly hardly daring to let go.

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"How is your new opera coming, Erik?" Antoinette lay in Erik's arms while he stroked her hair.

The Phantom smiled. "It's coming well," he said. "I think I want to add Tanya into the story," he said.

"She would be a wonderful character," said Antoinette. "But that means you would have to teach both her and Meg to sing."

"That's alright," said Erik. "Since they're both my daughters that would make it all the more fun."

"What character shall Tanya be?" asked Antoinette.

"She'll be the runaway daughter of an elf lord," said Erik. "Her name will be Lady Shirina."

"That sounds like a wonderful story," said Antoinette.

"Except for one problem that you still insist on working for," said Erik.

"What's that?" asked Antoinette.

The Phantom answered with one name. "Carlotta."

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"Can't we just off the old frog!" Tanya grumbled as she and Meg came down to the lair.

Erik and Antoinette turned. "Carlotta?"

"How you people can deal with a beast such as her is a wonder to me" Tanya grumbled.

"She does take some getting use to" Antoinette said.

Erik leaned over to Antoinette, "What about taking her out of the picture?"

"ERIK!" Antoinette said, giving him a sharp tap on the shoulder.

"OW...Just as suggestion" he said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Do make suggestion of that sort" Antoinette snapped. "You've killed plenty of people already. No need to add Carlotta to the list."

"Why not send her to be with her piangi?" Meg asked.

"MEG!"

"Sorry Mama"


	12. Chapter 12

Antoinette rolled in her sleep. Erik, who slept in a chair next to his own bed because he couldn't bring himself to climb in with her, watched her. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Why don't you just come to bed?"

"Because it still seems wrong to sleep with you" Antoinette raised an eyebrow. "Not like that, I mean..."

"When will we get married, Erik?"

"I don't know" he said.

She wiggles back to make a space next to her. "Please?"

Erik rolled his eyes and climbed in to bed next to her, kicking his shoes off as he did. He laid on his side with his head on the pillow next to her. "I hope to marry you soon but I don't know who to talk to, to marry us. I am, after all, the Phantom."

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Erik and Antoinette ended up having to wait longer than they had hoped for the wedding. Carlotta was none too pleased to find a gypsy girl among the rest of the dancers. It took coaxing from the managers and Antoinette losing her temper to convince the Prima Donna to leave poor Tanya alone.

Tanya for her part didn't mind Carlotta not liking her, if anything she expected it. Meg did what she could to be a friend to her sister-to-be.

"She's not so bad once you know her," said Meg during her break.

"You're only saying that because you're around her the most," said Tanya.

"When you're around someone enough they start to talk," said Meg. "Carlotta tells me everything. She really misses her husband, and on top of that she admitted she was worried when I disappeared for a while." Tanya's jaw dropped.

"She was concerned for you?" cried the gypsy girl.

"Why wouldn't she be?" said Meg. "If I'm gone who's going to do her hair?" The girls giggled. Their conversation was interrupted when Carlotta ran over to Meg.

"Your break time is over!" cried the Prima Donna. "Come and help me so I don't look messy! Say bye, bye!" Meg barely waved goodbye as Carlotta grabbed her wrist and dragged her away. Tanya shook her head.

"Meg, I feel sorry for you," she said.

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As usual Carlotta talked a mile a minute while Meg just nodded and did the Prima Donna's hair

"I must admit that that gypsy is a strange girl, but she is a good dancer," said Carlotta. Meg was surprised.

"Do you mean that, Madam?" she asked as she tied a braid.

"As much as I don't want to mean it, I do!" said Carlotta. "A girl who is a good dancer but doesn't sing is always a good girl." Meg smiled.

"Would you think lowly of her if she got a part in the new Opera, Madam?" she asked.

"'ow could she?" demanded Carlotta.

"There's a part for a lady elf, and Tanya took it," said Meg.

"That is not good!" cried Carlotta. "I take it back! Tanya is a bad girl! She's worse than those other gypsies that keep coming here!"

Meg froze. "What gypsies?"

* * *

If you get tired of the cliff hangers, I'm sorry. There just what I do. They amuse me to no end. Not to meantion I have a lot of people telling me...YOU HAVE TO WRITE MORE. And I feel important. If nothing else in life, I can entertian you.

As always. Reviews are welcome...encourage is more correct.


	13. Chapter 13

Meg ran as fast as she could down to Erik's lair. She was so anxious she didn't care if anyone saw her. She had to speak with the Phantom. When she finally reached the lair she found Erik teaching Tanya how to sing. The gypsy girl's voice was pretty, but inexperienced. 'Just like me,' thought Meg.

She ran onto the shore panting. Erik looked up and smiled at her, oblivious to the fear on his daughter's face.

"Good afternoon, Meg," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"Carlotta," panted Meg. "Carlotta said that a group of gypsies has been coming to the opera house! They keep eyeing Tanya and I! I think they might be from the gypsy camp!"

"What could they possibly want here?" asked Antoinette when Erik had told her what Meg had relayed only a hour before. He had calmed the girl and sent her back to work. Antoinette had just come to down to check on him when he set her down and told her what had been said.

"Tanya...Meg said Carlotta had seen them watching the girls dance" Erik whispered. He was writing a opera to calm his own nerves.

"Well why didn't they just stop her and talk to her. Or just take her?"

"How am I to know how the mind of a gypsy works, Love?" asked Erik.

"Well..."

"I'm not a gypsy. I was just their slave. 'The Devil's Child'"

"Yes...of course" Antoinette walked off into their room and began combing through some of the tickets she had in a small tin.

Erik, when he noticed she had left, rose with his music and followed. "Annie?"

"When I think of gypsies it reminds me of this," She held up a thin slip of paper. It was the stub from the ticket to the gypsy's. From the night she had saved Erik.

"Is that the-"

"Yes" Antoinette held it out to him. His face was on the end of it.

"Why'd you keep this?" Erik stuck it back in the tin box that Antoinette kept it in.

"It was my remind of where you've come from."

"Well let's stay on topic."

"We are on topic, Erik. How do you know they didn't come here for you? How do you know they didn't find out you are still here and haven't come to claim you?"

"After all these years, Annie?" Erik whispered, as he wrapped her in his arms. "I doubt they are going to cause any trouble. You need you not let your imagination run away with you." He kissed her.

"Your right" She returned his kiss.

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Tanya was walking back to the opera house. She had gone to the market and bought some fabric to makes some new clothes. She round a corner and began to walk past a group of men when they stopped her by stepping in front of her.

"Tanya?" the man asked.

"Who wishes to know?" Tanya snapped.

"It's her" another man said.

"Grab her" said a third.

A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around Tanya. They drugged her and when she woke she tied to a wall. They were in a dark old build. Where, she didn't know.

"Where is he?"

"Who?" Tanya managed.

"The Devil's Child!"


	14. Chapter 14

"The devil has no children!" said Tanya. "And if he did they would not be here!" A male gypsy stepped forward.

"Is that so?" he said. "If the devil has no children then why are you with his granddaughter, Tanya?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" cried the gypsy girl.

The leader nodded. Something whipped across Tanya's back, making her scream. The lead gypsy stepped forward and stroked her hair.

"Now listen to me, sweet Tanya," he said smoothly. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can either tell us where the Devil's child is, or you can be tortured until the information is forced from you! What will it be?" Tanya glared at the gypsy leader.

"The devil has no children!" she whispered.

"Whip her!" said the leader.

For an hour the gypsy leader kept asking the same question. Each time she said she didn't know the whip hit her back. In no time she was bleeding so badly she could hardly stand. The gypsy leader noticed and motioned for the whipping to stop.

"She's not talking," he whispered to the others. "The only way for us to know where he is, is to let her go and see who she goes too."

The others nodded and released Tanya from the ropes. She collapsed in their arms. The leader walked forward and stroked her hair again.

"We'll release you for the time being, sweet Tanya," he said. "But beware of dwelling among one of the Devil's children."

A rather haggard looking gypsy woman tended to Tanya's hurt back. When the last bandage was in place Tanya was shoved out the door. Even though they'd healed her she was still weak from the loss of blood. Yet one thought remained in her mind. 'I must warn Erik!' she thought.

Stumbling and gasping for breath, Tanya slowly made her way to the Opera house, unaware of the dark figures following her in the shadows.

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In the evening Antoinette sat in her room catching what few minutes she had to herself before evening rehearsal. During that time she sat trapped in the world of Erik's new Opera. The story was so exciting and alive she felt trapped in its adventure. She knew it would be a hit, not just among the people who came to the opera house, but for anyone who listened to its music in years to come.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Meg burst into the room with Tanya's arms around her neck. Tanya looked so pale she seemed near death. Antoinette jumped and ran to the girls.

"Oh my goodness!" she cried as she lifted Tanya into her arms. "What happened to her?" She felt the bandages on Tanya's back. Some of them were badly bloodstained.

"I don't know what happened to her!" said Meg. "She was dragging herself to the Opera house and she kept saying she had to warn Erik about something!" Antoinette turned to Tanya.

"Tanya my dear," she whispered. "Please speak to me! But speak slowly!" Tanya turned her pale face to her mother-to-be.

"The.gypsies.want.Erik," she whispered. "They.whipped me.wanting. me.to.tell.where.he was."

"Which gypsies?" asked Meg.

"I believe she means us," said a new voice.

"Good God!" screamed Antoinette as the group of men entered the room.

"Good evening Madame" the leader whispered. "Where is here?"

Antoinette swallowed and stepped forward. "Whom to you seek Monsieur?" His hand hit her cheek hard, causing Meg to scream. The scream caused Erik, who was on his way to Antoinette's room to quicken his pace.

"Don't play with me you wench!" The man growled. "Were is the devil's child!? Where is this Erik!?"

"I don't know!" Antoinette said, holding her cheek. He hit her again, causing her to hit her knees.

"Are you his whore?" The man taunted. "Are you copulating with the devil's child?" He raised his arm again to hit her for not answering him.

"NO!" screamed Meg again. Throwing herself in the way, taking the blow to the cheek. "Please, stop! STOP!"

"Maybe you can tell me where you father is?" The Men were growing inpatient. "Kill her!" He pointed at Tanya. A man started towards her.

"NO!" cried Meg.

"Then tell me where he is!"

"I can't"

The gypsy pointed to Tanya again and the other men caught her. They wrapped a rope around her neck. "Ironic that she should die in the same way his master had died."

"His 'master'" Antoinette spit out the word master as if it was bitter. "Deserved to die!"

"So you were the girl who freed him" The man said with a smile. "Well that just perfect." He grabbed her and held a knife to her neck. "Say hell to the devil when you see him."


	15. Chapter 15

Before the gypsy could slit Antoinette's throat a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. The knife was yanked from his grip and his wrist was broken. The gypsies were shocked to see the Phantom of the Opera himself standing before them.

"If any of you DARES to try that again I swear I will strangle all of you myself!" Erik whispered threateningly.

The gypsies smiled when they realized who Erik was. "So at last we have found you," said one of the male gypsies.

"He's grown quite a bit hasn't he?" said another.

"He's worse than I remember him!" said the haggard gypsy who had tended to Tanya's back. "Worse even then when he was born!" Erik took a step back.

"I thought you were dead," he whispered.

"It would simpler if that were so wouldn't it?" snapped the hag.

"Who are you?" demanded Antoinette.

"This man is my son!" snapped the hag. "I am Erik's mother!"

"Oh God" Antoinette back up a step. Into Erik, who took a hold of her to steady her.

"How could you be alive?" Erik demanded. "I was told you had died long ago."

"So many thought but I didn't" the Hag whispered.

"What do you want?" Antoinette asked.

"My son"

"I won't go back there" Erik yelled. "I've know what love can be and I will not go back!"

"Love?" The Hag laughed. "You think this whore has shown you love? What of me? I gave you life. I gave you this very breath in your lungs. You ungrateful little brat!"

"You hated me!" Erik's temper rose as did his voice. "Get out! Get out and stay out or I will be forced to hurt you."

"You wouldn't hurt me" the Hag said quietly.

"Oh wouldn't I?" Erik growled. He stepped forward. The group took a step back. "Get out!" He yelled. They scattered.

"We'll be back for you! We'll be back!" The leader called as he and the other turned and ran from the room. They left the opera house quickly.

"I don't understand any of this!" Antoinette said. "Why could they possibly want you after all these years? You aren't nearly as..." She trailed off and looked at the ground with a blush.

"Aren't nearly as what?" Erik asked. He couldn't be mad at Annie not matter what she said.

"Evil looking as you were" Antoinette said in below a whisper. "I think you have become quite handsome over the years." Meg and Tanya, even in her pain, laughed at the look of love on Erik's face.

"I love you, Annie" Erik said. He pulled her to him. "Have you looked into a church to marry us?" Antoinette nodded, too 'under his spell' to speak.

"We're just gonna go" Meg said helping Tanya. "I'll just take her to my room and help her with her back." They left quickly.

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A month pasted without a single hitch. No sign of the gypsies and the practice for the opera were going wonderful. Even Carlotta was in a good mood on the night of the gala opening. The opera began and it was a hit. Erik hide in his normal box five seat and Antoinette snuck up to sit with him after a little while.

She knocked. "Erik" she whispered. He opened the door and pulled her in by her arm. He shut the door. He pulled her to the chairs and sat her down.

"Watch" he ordered. He was so interested in his own opera it made her want to laugh. But she knew better and watched. After an hour he seemed to lose interest but Antoinette became very interested. Erik watched her. "Annie?"

"Hum?" She turned to him. He leaned forward and caught her lips in a kiss.

Their kiss was interrupted by the sound of screams. When they turned to see the reason why Antoinette felt like screaming herself.

They had gotten to the scene in the Opera where Princess Aaralyn had met with the Lady Shirina when gypsies burst through the curtain, tearing it up as they went, and started chasing the chorus girls.

The whole Opera house turned to chaos. People ran around screaming and trying to get to the exit. The chorus girls were running for their lives with the gypsies running after them while some of the male opera performers tried to defend them.

In the midst of the chaos Erik put on a robe to hide his face and mask and join the fight. Even in his disguise the gypsies recognized him.

"Care to join us, oh great Phantom?" mocked the leader.

Erik glared. "Attack innocent young girls in front of me will you?" he shouted. Almost at once one of the gypsies was dead with a rope around his neck.

The fight was fierce; Erik strangled the gypsies while they only gave him a few cuts. The fight might have gone on forever if one of the gypsies hadn't signaled to them in the audience. The leader turned to Erik.

"Farewell for now, Devil Child!" he said as he left.

Erik ran off before anyone could catch him. He was filled with rage and shock. Why did they attack so suddenly? And why were they chasing the chorus girls instead of searching for him? And why had they run off so abruptly? Hadn't their goal been to capture him? Erik shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he said to himself. "They're gone and that's the important thing!" He suddenly remembered something else that was important. "Where's Annie?"

A door to a different passage way opened. Antoinette walked in, her eyes were blood red and her cheeks were wet with tears. Almost at once Erik took her in his arms and carried her to a seat. He knelt before her and took her hands.

"What's the matter, Annie?" asked Erik. "There's nothing to be afraid of, the gypsies are gone and all the girls are safe. There's nothing more to fear!" Antoinette shook her head.

"That's not true, Erik!" she said. "The gypsies! They-" she couldn't speak because she started choking on tears. Erik gently dried her face, fearing what she would say.

"What did they do, Annie?" he asked.

"They kidnapped Meg and Tanya!" cried Antoinette. "And they intend to hold them captive until you surrender!"


	16. Chapter 16

Erik felt as he had the night of the fire. The night he had lost Christine and his home. The same hollow sick felling filled him. He felt he might faint but Antoinette wrapped her self around him. He looked down at her like he didn't know her. He had forgotten for a moment he wasn't alone anymore. They may have taken his 'daughters' but they didn't take his Annie and he'd get back what they had taken. He held her for a moment. He heard people running towards the house. He picked Antoinette and let her sniffle on his shoulder as he took the secret passages to her room.

"Annie" he whispered, after he had laid her on the bed and locked the door. "Annie, listen to me. I'm going to go get them."

"NO!" Antoinette bolted upright. "Don't you understand!? That's what they want! They want you came and try to take them back by force." She fell silent for a moment.

He moved to her side. "Let me go...I'll ask them to release the girls. I'll-I'll beg them for the girls."

Antoinette held her sobs the best she could. Before long to was sobbing into her pillow.

"I'll bring them back, Annie" Erik vowed, as he disappeared into the mirror.

He knew he'd hear about it later for not letting her came but he had lost to many people he'd loved. He couldn't take it again.

He ran the whole way to the gypsy camp. Men and women walked between the tents. He saw a young man walk off by himself. Erik crouched and crept towards him. Tackling him, Erik pinned him to the ground with his foot.

"Le Diable Gamin!" (The Devil Child!) The man gasped.

"Not a child anymore!" Erik growled. "Where are they?"

"They?"

"The girls who were brought her earlier."

"The blonde and Tanya?"

Erik stepped hard on his chest. "Yes! Where?!?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The girls were curled up and asleep with ropes around their wrists. Each was still wearing her costume so they looked quite beautiful. Erik couldn't help smiling as he looked at them.

Meg in her green tunic and black breeches with her hair tied back, disguised as a man so as not to get caught so easily by forest thieves. And then Tanya, a blue dress meant for a maid that hid one of nobility on the run from an arranged marriage and into adventure.

"If only that were the story you two were living," Erik whispered as he stroked Meg's hair. "But Fate has no respect for who gets hurt or captured." Carefully he shook the girls awake. They gasped at the sight of him but he wisely put his hands over their mouths.

"Papa!" whispered Meg. "How did you find us?"

"A gypsy camp is easy to find!" whispered Erik.

"Please! Don't take us away, not yet!" pleaded Tanya. Erik was surprised.

"Why ever not?" he asked.

"If you take us then they go back to the Opera house and wreck havoc until they find you!" said Tanya. "Trust me; I know how their minds work. Go back and try to do something that will cause less trouble!" Erik looked reluctant.

"If I leave you two here you'll be raped!" he said.

"No we won't!" said Tanya. "They'll keep us alive as long you're still out there! Please trust me on this! Please?"

Erik looked from Tanya to Meg. He wanted to save them now, but what they said was true. It would just cause trouble. He sighed.

"Alright," he said. "Stay safe, and don't lose hope! I will come back for you!"

"We know you will, Papa!" said Meg.

The Phantom kissed each girl on the forehead and left. Not a single gypsy eye saw him.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When Erik returned he saw Antoinette asleep on the bed. He crawled up into the bed next to her and leaned his head against hers. She stirred and looked up at him. "Did you find them?"

"Yes" He whispered, looking down into her chocolate brown eyes.

"Did you bring them back?" She turned so they were both on their sides facing each other.

"No" He closed his eyes at the the look of horror that covered Antoinette's face.

"WHY!" She cried, gripping this arms tightly.

"They will come and ravage the Opera House if I just took the girls. They told me to think of some way that would cause let trouble." He was trying to plead with a horrified Annie as he heard knocking on the door of Antoinette's room. Erik moved quickly and hid in the mirror as Antoinette opened the door. There stood a man she hadn't talked to in a while. An old family friend. Georg King.

Antoinette stood speechless. "Georg?"

"I was told I could find you here. Do you mind if I come in for a visit?"

Antoinette glanced at the mirror. "No, not at all. Please come in." Georg walked past her. "What brings you to my door?"

"Well, I was just in Paris and thought way don't I go look up little old Annie. And here you are! My you haven't changed much have you?"

"I suppose not" Antoinette said absentmindedly closing the door.

"Have you heard of the gypsies?" He said.

Antoinette turned quickly. She knew him to well. "What do you know?"

"They took Meg...and the other girl you had staying here." Antoinette stared at him. "And" he added, "That you are engaged to Erik." When Antoinette's jaw dropped he merely chuckled and patted her shoulder. "I very thought you were crazy when you 'talked to yourself' when you were alone. I knew you were talking to him. I also know that he is the true father to Meg."

"How?" Annie demanded.

"You were pregnant too soon. You would have had to have been with Pierre when we were gone on a business trip to have conceived Meg with him." He smiled brightly. "You always were a very naughty girl Annie."


	17. Chapter 17

"Georg, stop it!" shouted Antoinette. "How did you know all that? Have you been spying on me?" Georg smiled and nodded.

"I know everything that happened those years ago when you first brought Erik to the Opera house," he said. "It was funny, because when you snuck of to see him you always thought you were unseen. Such a silly thing to think." He glanced at the mirror. "You can come out, Erik! I won't call the police on you!"

Hesitantly, the mirror slid open and Erik walked out. All he could do was stare at this man. This man who had seen him his whole life, but never showed himself. It was strange to see someone who knew him, but was a stranger to him personally.

"Why did you spy on us, but never show yourself?" demanded Erik. Georg played with his fingers.

"Oh I loved watching what went on between you and all these beautiful young women!" he said. "It was like watching a play. The fear of where you would strike, and who would choose which person, and who's heart would be broken." He smiled at their shocked faces. "Have no fear; I never saw any of you doing anything related in the bed."

Erik's face was red. He didn't like this stranger one bit. He gripped Antoinette's hand and pulled out his rope with the other.

"Sir," he said. "If you do not make yourself scarce I swear I will hang you!"

"Like you did Joseph Buquet?" said Georg. "No, dear fellow, you wouldn't want to kill someone who knows how to rescue your daughters would you?" Antoinette was shocked.

"You wish to help us, Georg?" she asked.

"Of course!" said Georg. "You are my friend, Annie! And Meg is such a dear girl, how could I leave her to such a fate?" Erik lowered his rope.

"You know of a way to rescue the girls with out causing to gypsies to ransack the Opera house?" he asked.

"Indeed!" said Georg. "It will require a lot of trickery. You need to make them think they've won." He smiled. "And you need to make a few people dead!" Erik smiled.

"I enjoy the sound of that!" he said. "What's the plan?"

"NO!" Antoinette cried. "No, I will not let you kill innocent people!"

"Who said they were innocent?" Asked Georg. He sat himself at Antoinette's small table with Erik across from him.

"No. Please, both of you, don't kill anyone. Erik already has murder on his recorded and I can't have them start a man hunt for him again. I was terrified they kill him I can't go through that again. And Georg your recorded is clean why tarnish it now and I'm sure there is another way t-"

"And what way is that Annie?" Georg cut her off. She stopped and after a moment hung her head in defeat. "I know you always had a good heart, Ann, but you don't have the guts for what we need to do. You can't fight a war without a few casualties."

"What's the plan?" Asked Erik, hurt by the look on Antoinette's face as she turned her back to Georg.

"Simple!" cried Georg. "All we have to do is pretend to turn you in, Erik!" Antoinette's head snapped up.

"Are you mad?" she cried. "Do that and they'll beat him to death!" Georg laughed.

"Calm yourself, Annie!" he said. "They'll do nothing of the sort! Let me explain!"

Antoinette was about to protest but Erik motioned for her to be silent. She pursed her lips and motioned for Georg to continue.

"I will dress myself as a peddler," said Georg. "Of course I'll need to borrow a peddler costume from here, but I'll bring it back later. Anyways, I'll dress as a peddler and lead Erik to the gypsy camp bound with a rope. The trick is that the rope will be tied in such a way that he could slip out with out any of them noticing!"

"But how will that let us save the girls?" asked Erik.

"Also simple!" said Georg. "Before the gypsies take you I will 'stab' you and you will 'die.'" Antoinette gasped. "It will just be an act, dear Annie! Erik will pretend to die, and then as they take the 'body' to bury it he will rise from the 'dead' as a 'monster.' While that is going on Annie can slip in and free the girls. The 'ghost' can warn the gypsies that if they don't leave Paris and never return then they will be slaughtered in the night with no one to save them!"

Antoinette didn't look convinced. "And you think they will believe that?" she asked.

"Of course!" said Georg. "Gypsies are the most superstitious people in the world! They'll believe anything!"

Erik and Antoinette looked at each other and shrugged. "Let's give it a try," he said.

"For Meg and Tanya's sake," said Antoinette.


	18. Chapter 18

Georg snuck out during the next day (A Saturday...no rehearsals.) and hurried down the street to a pub. He sat at a table in the back and waited. The bar was nasty place. It had a dozen little tables with 2 to 4 chairs each. Georg was at one with only 2 chairs. He order a whiskey and before long he was joined by another man.

"Will he listen to you?" the man asked as he sat across from Georg.

"Yes" Georg whispered, sipping his whiskey unhappily. "You must promise not to harm the girls or the women."

"I make no promises" The man whispered, darkly.

"You better or I tell you nothing" Georg snapped. "I need the esurience that nothing with happen to Antoinette...or the girls."

"Fine" the man growled. "You have my word the woman and the two girls will not be harmed."

"Good" He relayed his plan.

The man rose and shook Georg's hand. "I have just one question" the man said. "Why?"

"I've watched for years as Antoinette loved him even when he threw her a side for that whore child. He will not have her after all of that...I want what should have been mine for so many years."

* * *

"I have a feeling this isn't going to work" Antoinette whispered as she tied Erik's wrist in the trick knot while Georg changed.

"Have you no confidence in me, Ann" asked Georg, as he came around her changing curtain.

"I'm sorry, Georg but I haven't heard from you in so long and now you come back at this point and offer to help. You can't blame me for being suspicious."

Georg smiled sweetly. "Relax, Ann. Have confidence in me."

"I do but-"

"Trust me, Antoinette" Whispered Erik into her ear. She nodded.

* * *

Tanya and Meg weren't as helpless as the gypsies thought. Tanya, being a gypsy herself, knew many tricks on how to tie and untie herself.

"I wish we could just runaway and go back to Mama and Erik!" whispered Meg when Tanya got ready to go on another escapade one night.

"I do too, Meg," whispered Tanya. "But you know what will happen if they find us missing! They'll automatically blame Erik!" She hid the ropes under the sleeping dummy she'd made of herself. "Alright, now listen. I'm just going to sneak around to see what they might do. With my eyes out there I can tell if anyone who's helping them is a friend or a traitor."

Meg sighed. "Please be careful, Tanya!" she whispered. Tanya smiled and kissed her sister-to-be on the cheek.

"Don't be afraid for me, Meg!" she whispered. "I'm a gypsy, remember? I know as many tricks as any of these scoundrels. Be back soon!"

With that Tanya slipped from the tent and into the outside world. She snatched a cloak and wrapped it around herself for disguise. No point in getting caught and earning herself another beating.

While out Tanya passed by a bar. Feeling thirsty she went in and ordered a glass of wine. She looked at the occupants of the bar. Mostly thugs, drunks, and several men who she could tell just by looking at them wouldn't hesitate to rape her if they knew she was a girl.

"So the Phantom of the Opera has a name does he?" whispered a man nearby.

Tanya nearly jumped at the mention of the phantom. She unnoticeably slipped closer so as to listen better.

"It's Erik," whispered the other man. "At least that's what Antoinette says his name is. She's madly in love with him!"

"So how do you intend to get the Phantom to not love her anymore?" asked the other man.

Tanya's face turned paler and paler to the point where she looked ready to die. 'Antoinette and Erik are in danger!' she thought. When the two men left she slipped from the bar and ran back to the gypsy camp. It didn't matter if the camp would be in an uproar if they were gone. This Georg fellow had to be stopped before he hurt Erik and broke Antoinette's heart.

When she slipped into the tent Meg looked up. It made her own face turn white at the sight of how white Tanya was.

"What is it, Tanya?" asked Meg.

"I stopped at a bar for some wine and I overheard these two men talking about Erik and Antoinette!" whispered Tanya. "Georg plans to do something that will make Erik distrust Antoinette so that he will go and rescue us on his own! It's a trap, Meg! Georg wants to split them apart so he can have us and your mother to himself! We have to leave and save them!"


	19. Chapter 19

"I don't think this is safe" Whispered Meg as they left the camp. The ran down the street and around the corner. Normally being discreet would mean something but not now. Not will Antoinette and Erik on the line.

As they round the corner, They ran into two firm chests. As they hit the ground they looked up to seem Erik and Georg. "Papa!" cried Meg as she scrambled into his arms. "You mustn't go..."

"Meg, You shouldn't have run away...they'll come after you."

"But they know of the plan" cried Tanya rising to her feet. "He told them of it." She pointed a finger at Georg. Antoinette, who had been walking a ways back on the other side of the street, cross and came to them.

"Mama" Meg cried pulling the mother to her chest, away from Georg.

"What are you two talking about?" Erik asked.

"Georg went to a bar today and told the Gypsy man what the plan was. He wants Antoinette for himself." Tanya practically yelled. "He's going to kill you Erik!"

"What?!?" Antoinette said, turning to Georg, Meg is her arms. Erik's hand was around her waist. Tanya stood next to Meg.

Georg looked at Tanya sadly and clicked his tongue. "The gypsies must have been torturing you to the point of torturing your mind, my dear," he said."I am your friend, and I could never harm the man Antoinette loves!" When he reached out to touch her cheek but Tanya slapped his hand.

"Don't touch me, you liar!" she hissed. "I saw you! And I never forget a face!"

"I want the truth out of you, Georg!" demanded Antoinette. "Was all this just a trick to get at me and the girls?" Georg looked more confused than ever.

"I don't know what she's talking about, Annie," he said. "I went in town today to get what was needed for the disguise but that was it." Erik cast a suspicious eye at Georg.

"What do you mean to get what else was needed?" he demanded. "You said all you needed was peddler costume, and that was in the opera house!"

"And the rope was in the opera house too!" said Antoinette. "Is what Tanya said true?"

"I met with no one but those who were at the bar," said Georg. "Thugs aren't good for conversation!"

"You're lying!" hissed Tanya. "I saw you myself! You were going to make it look like Antoinette was in on it with the gypsies so he'd think she was a traitor! That way Erik would leave her and you would be free to have her for yourself! You're nothing but thieving scoundrel who needs to be hanged!"

Georg was about to protest but Erik undid his ropes and threw them around Georg's neck.

"The truth, Georg!" hissed Erik. "Have you sold us out or not?" Georg was barely able to get the answer out.

"I did!" he cried. "You don't deserve that beautiful woman holding the girls! I do! You're nothing but a monster in a mask! I would be a better choice any day!" Erik was about to end Georg's life when Georg shouted again. "Now! They're all here! Grab them! Get them!"

The gypsies jumped out and grabbed the Phantom along with Antoinette and the girls. Georg smiled and smiled as he watched them struggle. At last Antoinette was his.


	20. Chapter 20

"I can't believe I trusted you!" Erik growled.

"What can I say, you're flawed" Georg said. He began whistling a happy tune as he walked along behind them all.

"I won't let you get a way with this!" Tanya shouted.

"I already did" Georg shot back, smacking her cheek.

"If he dies, Georg! I WILL STRANGLE YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!!" Antoinette growled as she was pulled along.

The little group was dragged all the way to the gypsy camp. They were greeted by a group of hooting and cheering gypsies. The male gypsies hooted at the girls, and the female gypsies cringed at the sight of Erik.

"What should we do with the Devil's Child?" asked Georg.

"He's my son so that's my decision!" cried a hag.

Erik glared at his mother. "You again!" he hissed. "Was it you that ordered all this?"

The hag chuckled. "It was Georg's idea!" she said while putting her arm around Georg's shoulder. "I promised he could have Antoinette if he delivered you and the girls!" She eyed her granddaughters. "Ugly things aren't they? They're so skinny they could fit into pipes."

Antoinette's face flamed red. "Leave the girls out of this!" she snapped. "This concerns myself and Erik! Let them go!"

The hag laughed. "It concerns all three of you because you all are with my son!" she said.

"YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER!" shouted Erik. "You never were! You rejected me over something that wasn't my fault!" He eyed his mother's face. "Though from the looks of things you were being a hypocrite for rejecting me! You're a phantom yourself!"

The hag's face turned white with anger. "Kill him!" she shouted.

"No" screamed Antoinette as she found against those who held her. "No! Stop!"

"Papa" Meg cried, trying to get away.

Georg looked around at them all with a satisfied smile.

Erik remained still as a gypsy came forward with a shot gun. He looked at Meg and Antoinette, silently saying goodbye. The gypsy raised the gun and pointed it at Erik's chest.

"Any last words, Monsieur Phantom?" he asked.

Erik sighed. "Antoinette, take care of Meg and Tanya, never forget how much I loved you," he said.

The gypsy laughed. "Noble words," he said. He lifted the gun. "To go with a noble death!"

He would have fired if Tanya hadn't wrestled the gun out of his hands. The gypsy looked at her in shock.

"How'd you get loose?" he cried.

"I'm a gypsy myself, remember?" Tanya said as she lifted the gun. "And I think it's time the rest of you showed a little respect for Erik! So what if he's got a deformed face! The rest of you have deformed hearts!" The hag stepped forward, but stepped back when Tanya raised the gun. "The police are coming to arrest you all! They won't believe a word if you say you had the Phantom of the Opera! We'll be gone!"

Tanya freed her friends and bound the gypsies, all the while still pointing the gun at all of them. By the time the police arrived they found a camp of bound gypsies with the Phantom and his family gone from sight. They were safe at last.

* * *

I know it's really short but I didn't want to put it with the last chapter...so here's a short one. You'll like the last one, I think. 


	21. Chapter 21

Erik watched Antoinette sleep. To think he was so close to losing her was unbearable. She stirred in her sleep and he smiled. Soon they would be married...after one little thing was taken care off.

* * *

Erik laid in the hospital bed, his face wrapped up. Antoinette hadn't wanted him to fix his face like this. She said he didn't need it, but he needed it. For himself. He felt a hand wrap around his and squeeze. He knew it was Antoinette. He knew her hands. He'd been feeling her do the same thing for 3 weeks now. Everyday, as she came to visit.

They had just finished learning a new opera as Erik went in for the surgery. Antoinette had made them put off the gala night till Erik was better. Today was the day. The bandage came off today. Erik heard another person come in the room.

"Are you ready Monsieur?" the voice asked. It was his doctor. Erik nodded. He felt the doctor undo the first layer and begin unrolling it. Erik held his breath. When the doctor was done he held out a mirror. "Careful open your eyes."

Erik did as he was told but the light still stung at first. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to light again. The Doctor handed the mirror to Antoinette and left. Antoinette had tears in hers eyes.

"Is it that bad?" Erik asked.

"I never knew you could be so handsome" Antoinette handed him the mirror. He slowly lifted the mirror till he saw his own face.

It was indeed handsome. It was now even on both sides. He was as he should be. He laughed out loud before setting the mirror on the side table and pulling Antoinette to him.

She ran a hand down his now smooth cheek. "I love you, Erik"

"Marry me, now?"

"I said I'd marry you before"

* * *

The family (Antoinette, Erik, Meg and Tanya) walked down the street as the sun rose high in the sky. "We are going to be late to the church if you two don't stop looking in every window" Erik said, chuckling as Meg and Tanya stopped at yet another shop window to look in.

"Ok, but can we come back?" Meg said, hurrying to catch up with them. Tanya laughed and ran after them.

"Yes, later" Antoinette said. Erik wrapped an arm around her waist. They stepped out of the way as a pair of young well dressed women walked past. Both stared at Erik and as they past began whispering and glancing back.

Tanya heard them and giggled herself. "They think Erik is…handsome and charming" she managed before laughter over took her.

Antoinette looked up at him. "Well I certainly think so"

They made it to the church just in time to change and take their places. Meg and Tanya stood opposite Erik (who looked very dashing in a tux) as Antoinette walked up.

The priest smiled at them both. "The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Erik and Antoinette have made to one another. Bless O God these rings, that Antoinette and Erik, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives"

Antoinette swallowed and took Erik's ring in her hand. "I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, with this ring, I thee wed." She slipped in on Erik's hand.

Erik took Antoinette's ring and her left hand. "I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, With this ring, I thee wed." He slipped it on her finger.

The priest cleared his throat. "In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder." He paused and turned to Erik. "Erik, You may kiss your bride!"

Erik did and whispered in her ear. "I love you, Annie"


End file.
